My teacher usually engages students with reviewing definitions that the students themselves come up with. I do not see too much critical thinking encouraged, as lectures are usually question-based, with suggestive hints towards the right answer. I do observe my teacher challenge students in the lab portion of the class. In lab, students are required to express scientific ideas to other students when they come up with a hypothesis. I observe that in the lower level classes, my CT tries more to relate the material to the students and prompts them with questions that make them think, whereas in the Honors Biology class students are lectured to more. I have only observed a little bit of Honors Biology so my perception could be entirely off. However, do not catch my CT calling on specific people in Honors Biology.
This week I actually got to write up a worksheet and present it to the class in a ten minute mini-lesson to review three vocabulary words they are having difficulty in. I observed that I had grasped the attention of most of my students when I was questioning them about the idea. I believe that they really like the thoughtful engagement and become tired when things become routine and stated, rather than showed. Although discussion is slightly implemented in my CT's classroom, I would like to incorporate discussion every day, even if it is just to open up class. I predict that it will be like pulling teeth because each time one of my teachers tries to create a discussion, I observe the silence and the coercing that has to take place before students actually start to speak up. Even if there is only a few verbally participating, I believe students are at least listening, which means I am reaching them. I plan to question, discuss and encourage my students to think about and to question actions and information. Discussion can be based on current events and scenarios with variable outcomes, which students can argue for or against. Thinking about things will have to be posed through the presentation of an idea, perhaps a thought provoking question that relates to the topic at hand but also makes them question the broader aspect of making choices in life. I predict this will be very challenging.
My teacher usually engages students with reviewing definitions that the students themselves come up with. I do not see too much critical thinking encouraged, as lectures are usually question-based, with suggestive hints towards the right answer. I do observe my teacher challenge students in the lab portion of the class. In lab, students are required to express scientific ideas to other students when they come up with a hypothesis. I observe that in the lower level classes, my CT tries more to relate the material to the students and prompts them with questions that make them think, whereas in the Honors Biology class students are lectured to more. I have only observed a little bit of Honors Biology so my perception could be entirely off. However, do not catch my CT calling on specific people in Honors Biology.
This week I actually got to write up a worksheet and present it to the class in a ten minute mini-lesson to review three vocabulary words they are having difficulty in. I observed that I had grasped the attention of most of my students when I was questioning them about the idea. I believe that they really like the thoughtful engagement and become tired when things become routine and stated, rather than showed. Although discussion is slightly implemented in my CT's classroom, I would like to incorporate discussion every day, even if it is just to open up class. I predict that it will be like pulling teeth because each time one of my teachers tries to create a discussion, I observe the silence and the coercing that has to take place before students actually start to speak up. Even if there is only a few verbally participating, I believe students are at least listening, which means I am reaching them. I plan to question, discuss and encourage my students to think about and to question actions and information. Discussion can be based on current events and scenarios with variable outcomes, which students can argue for or against. Thinking about things will have to be posed through the presentation of an idea, perhaps a thought provoking question that relates to the topic at hand but also makes them question the broader aspect of making choices in life. I predict this will be very challenging.
Sammy D.